This invention relates in general to bidets and more particularly to a bidet arrangement which is combined with a water closet and which makes use of the toilet bowl as a bidet basin.
As exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 2,075,830 to Salvoni and U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,767 to Ibel, attempts have been made in the past to combine a bidet with a water closet. However, these attempts have not resulted in commercially successful units for a number of reasons, mostly relating to lack of practicality. Both devices require the addition to the toilet bowl of a separate bidet basin which is hinged so that it can be raised and lowered. The need for a separate bidet basin adds to the cost of the device and requires that the bidet basin be stored when not in use. Provision must also be made for draining the bidet basin after its use, and problems relating to hygiene are encountered.
Another significant problem with arrangements of this nature is that the bidet spray is built into the basin and thus originates from a fixed location. Consequently, the bidet spray cannot be directed at a particular location and cannot be redirected if desired. Additionally, special water closet structures are required, and this increases the expense and makes it impractical to add the bidet arrangement to an existing water closet of conventional construction.
Other types of water closet-bidet systems are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,430,268 to Zoberg and U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,308 to Silver. Although these devices take advantage of the toilet bowl for use as the bidet basin, they are subject to a number of shortcomings in other respects. Again, the bidet spray is in fixed location in the toilet bowl, and this leads to hygiene problems and problems in the inability to redirect the spray. Water for the bidet spray is supplied from a faucet, and this type of device is not operable unless there is a faucet situated nearby at a convenient location. Even then, the need to connect the bidet spray hose to the faucet each time it is to be used and then to disconnect it after use is an awkward procedure which results in considerable inconvenience and deters persons from using the bidet.